The Swan of the Dark Lake
by steelneena
Summary: Emma and Regina have defeated Zelena but they had no choice but to return everyone to The Enchanted Forest in the process, including a memory-less Henry. Upon their arrival, they find that Rumpel isn't theDark One anymore, and they heard rumours of someone living in the Dark Castle, a malevolent presence that the inhabitants are calling the new Dark One. SWANFIRE Quiet Minds Fix-it
1. Prologue

**A/N: This story is COMPLETE. I will upload a new chapter once per week on Fridays. This story is crossposted on AO3, LJ and tumblr.**

* * *

Storybrooke, Maine, The World Without Magic:

They wouldn't let her into the room. His casket was there. Leroy and David barred her entering, but Emma was not going to have any of it.  
"David, Leroy, you let me in that room or so help me-" David cut her off.

"Emma, you can't. I can't let you," The urgency in his tone stopped her persistent efforts. Emma looked him in the eye, reproachfully, suspiciously.

"What's going on? Something is wrong. There's something that you're not telling me," She looked between the two men trying to guage their responses. David, she had found, was a pretty easy read. He wore his emotions plain upon his face. He looked to her, in that moment, drawn. "What aren't you telling me?" There was an edge of desperation to her voice. This was his funeral. This was her- this was-  
"Emma, Neal's body is gone,"

David began and Emma's mouth fell open in shock. "Someone has been with his body at all times. When we transported it here, and set it up for the viewing… Emma, we opened it and it was empty. There is nothing for you to see, I…I'm sorry," For a few moments it was all Emma could do not to fall over from shock.

"Could he be?" Her question was only half formed as it tumbled from her lips and she could see her father's eyes grow sad.

"We're thinking that it was most likely Zelena, Emma. Maybe he's part of her spell or-"

"No! No, it…he…No. That's not true. I won't accept it. I can't," Her thoughts were swirling at an alarming rate, and David reached over, touching her shoulder.

"Emma, we can't tell anyone about this. Henry…" She looked up at him, startled. "We have to go through with the funeral. Maybe…" He hesitated and she braced herself for his next words. "Maybe it's for the best, Sweetheart,"

Emma said nothing.

* * *

The funeral was a properly sombre affair. The closed casket had surprised many people and disappointed Henry, but no one questioned 'Emma's decision'. As she went to toss her shovel full of dirt over the grave of her once lover, Emma worried at the Swan pendant hanging around her neck, the talisman a cruel reminder. Neal had always been so full of hope.

She was afraid to cling to it.

That didn't change the fact that hope was all she had left.

* * *

Middle of Nowhere, The Enchanted Forest:

At first he thought he'd gone blind, and sure, blind was better than dead, but it still was as horrible a fate as he could think of. Slowly his vision went from black to blurred. His head hurt something fierce and he could feel a sinking, bleeding sort of sensation, except he was certain that when a person bled, they bled out, and not in. He raised his head as far as he could and lifted a hand. A symbol was burned into his palm and it had grown…black.

"No…" He coughed the syllable hoarsely. He wasn't sure why, but he knew that whatever it was, it was evil. Groggily he sat up. Lush forest surrounded him and a patchwork of moonlight filtered through the leaves. "No. This… this isn't right," Intuitively, he could tell that he wasn't where he should be. That something was horribly, horribly wrong. He surveyed his surroundings. He lay in a small clearing in the copse of trees. A perfectly circular clearing. Something glinted in the moonlight and his eyes were immediately drawn to it. He squinted, trying desperately to will his still hazy vision better. It was a dagger, crooked and curved and inscribed.

A sharp pain accompanied by a tingling sensation tore his attention away from the ominous dagger and he looked once again at his hand. The seeping blackness had traveled up his arm, creeping, growing, encroaching.

"No, oh God, what's wrong with me?" he whispered in terror. The black shot up his arm in a sudden burst and he cried out in pain; the action jolted his whole body and he stood on shaky legs, holding his arm away from him and staggered towards the shining blade. When it rested in front of him, he dropped wearily to his knees. With his good arm, he tentatively reached for the dagger. The handle felt warm under his hand, and the tingling sensation began to crawl it's way up from the point where it made contact with his skin. He ignored it, and focused on the blade once more. In the moonlight, he could just barely make out the word inscribed, dark against the bright steel.

"Baelfire,"

The black reached his shoulder and scurried with ever increasing quickness to his chest, up his neck and traveled in tendrils up until it touched his eyes, spreading like black cracks against his skin.  
Memories ensconced him completely, memories of lifetimes before him, of men called 'the Dark One'.

A hideous smile broke across his black veined skin.

"Baelfire, the Dark One,"


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Reminder. This story is COMPLETE. I will upload a chapter once every friday. There are 12 chapters including the prologue and epilogue.**

* * *

Emma didn't even know where to begin when the entire population of Storybrooke found themselves in the Enchanted Forest. Henry - still without his memories- was beyond words, gazing around in awe at the surroundings of his new home.

It had taken all of Emma and Regina's combined power to defeat the Wicked Witch, and the result was permanent relocation to the Enchanted Forest. There was no going back, and Henry… Emma could have lived with it if he had his memories, but he didn't. And she still had no clue how to return them. Hook had kept mum about much of his time during the missing year, only telling them what they needed to know to get by. She trusted him about as far as she could throw him, though he'd been patient and accommodating to Henry in her requests for him to spend time telling her son about his late father.

She thumbed the pendant again.

It had become a habit, that, whenever she thought about Neal, Emma would touch the pendant. The last remaining tangible evidence of their love. Yes, she had Henry, but that was…different. Belle had told her that if Neal had the necklace with him in Storybrooke, and it had survived the trip to the Enchanted Forest, then he must have had it with him during the missing year. And, with a sincere look of conviction, the librarian had told her that it could mean only one thing.

True Love.

Her last hope.

They stood, all of them, in the castle courtyard, people mingling and searching out family and friends. Charming and Snow stood off to one side, conversing urgently with Regina and Rumpelstiltskin in hushed tones. Emma felt a tug at her sleeve and she broke her focus on the four to look at her son, who seemed overwhelmed but not unhappy.

"Mom, is this really real?" He sent a soulful gaze her way and Emma was overcome with affection for her son. "I mean, we're really from here?" She knelt to his height, looking him in the eyes.

"Yeah, kid. We are. You were born back in the other world, but this is where I'm from, and where your Dad was from and my parents and his and our whole family. Actually, the entire town of Storybrooke calls this place home," He bit his lip.

"So Mary Margaret and David are Snow White and Prince Charming?"

"Yep,"

"And Mr. Gold is Rumpelstiltskin?"

"Tonight, I'll fill you in, okay?" Emma placed her hands on his shoulders.

"You're missing your memories, Henry, but we'll take care of it. Your grandparents love you - on both sides of the family - and we'll figure this out. Okay? I promise," Henry looked appeased.

"This is so weird, but I uh, think I could get used to it. I kinda like it here," When Emma smiled, it didn't reach er her eyes.

"I love you, Henry,"

"I know, Mom, I know," Henry went silent and returned to observing the crowd around him and his surroundings, so Emma stood, and pulled him, one arm about his shoulders, to her side in a comforting gesture. It was a pleasant silence that overtook them in the bustle of the townsfolk.

"Emma!" Charming called to her. "Follow us. We're heading to the council chambers," She looked down and saw Henry staring up at her with Neal's eyes.

"Ready to see inside a real castle?"

"You bet,"

* * *

The council chamber was a large, open room. Emma was seated at the round table in the centre with her parents and their many advisers and close friends, and all eyes were on Rumpelstiltskin who stood, pacing, across from Emma.

"There is a dark presence in this land. I can feel it,"

"And it certainly isn't you," Regina butted in, eyeing him warily. "You don't look like…well, you,"

"No, dearie, I don't and that's what worries me about this presence. I no longer retain the power of the Dark One. It's gone. I'm not sure when it was lost, but I can say for certain that I am no longer the powerful sorcerer I once was. I seem to have kept some small ability, but nothing so flashy as you're all used too," Regina snorted at his disdainful tone, but he only frowned. "I've heard rumours that a new evil had made my castle it's home. Perhaps we should investigate, yes?"

Charming put a hand to his forehead and rubbed, sighing and Snow bit her lip.

"I was hoping we could have some respite from villains and sinister plots," Her hand rested gently on her stomach. Anyday now, Emma knew, she could become a big sister. It was only a matter of time. "It seems, however, that I'm not going to be granted my wish. We'll send out scouts and-"

"Snow, I think I should be the one to go, really," Charming interrupted, but the look that his wife gave him quieted his words.

"I want you with me when the baby is born. Please," Charming dipped his head in deference to her and then she continued. "Who will volunteer to go on this scouting mission?"

Emma felt the weight of their recent difficulties fall on her.

"I'll go,"

"You most certainly will _not_!"

"I won't allow it!"

Snow and Charming called out simultaneously. Hook strode from where he had been leaning against the wall.

"I agree with your parents, Emma, you-"

"No one asked you, Hook," Emma looked at her parents with determination. "I'm doing this. Whether you like it or not. Now who's going to come with me?

* * *

In the end, Rumpelstiltskin, Hook, Belle, and Red had agreed to head the scouting party with Emma. Robin and several of his Merry Men had volunteered to accompany them for back up. That had been three days ago and Emma was seriously beginning to doubt her resilience as a rider of horses. She was sore everywhere from the constant riding and the company wasn't much better.

Hook watched her every move, and Red had caught the eye of one of the Merry Men. Rumpel and Belle kept mostly to themselves, though Belle had thrown her a couple of reassuring smiles. Emma suspected that if Rumpel had still been the Dark One, things might have been different. Whatever magic he retained wasn't enough to help his leg injury and it was obvious that it caused him a significant amount of pain. Of them all, Robin was the best company. He kept up a lively and encouraging conversation with her, mainly about his son, and asked her many questions about Henry. She was more than happy to answer as it kept her mind off of the impending sense of utter doom that had fallen across the group. It was growing as they neared the location of the Dark Castle. Emma could feel ominous waves of power roiling through the air around her, charging it like static. It was stifling and filled her senses to the brim. Even then, she felt as though she was suffocating.

They had been riding in relative silence when, as the front of the group, Rumpelstiltskin held his hand up, motioning the party to halt. above them, hidden in the mountains, rose the Dark Castle. A black fog hung around the area, and the trees looked sickly. A particularly strong wave of magic induced nausea rolled over Emma and she saw Rumpel flinch.

"The Dark One. He's here,"


	3. Chapter 2

They had halted before a small clearing in the gale, where, before them, there stood a man. He was hooded in a brown cloak and his face had been obscured. Any features he might have had were unrecognizable through the shadowy mist that enveloped him. Emma strained to take in the details, instincts as a Bail Bondwoman winning out over any sense of unease that had washed over her in his presence. He was of medium build, and his hands - the only skin visible on him - were covered with spidering black lines, like veins.

There was a still, stifling silence and then he spoke.

"You come to my castle? Trespass upon my lands? You must be either very brave or very foolish," HIs voice was imbued with power, which distorted a rich baritone. He gestured broadly at their company with his hand. "Come now, unafraid to enter into my realm, but too frightened to speak? That doesn't seem right,"

"You have the power of the Dark One, though you could not have acquired it through the usual means. Tell me then, oh Dark One, how did you manage it?" It was Rumpelstiltskin who spoke, and Emma had to wonder if the insolent tone he used was the one that used to strike fear in the hearts of man when he had wielded the power of the dagger.

"The usual means?" The Dark One asked, and then laughed. Emma's breath caught in her throat. That laugh... "Are you referring, Rumpelstiltskin, to this?" He held his hand out, palm up and from a cloud of grey magic there appeared the gleaming dagger. "Of course, it needed to taste your blood first. How intrigued I am that you are not joined in death with your son, Neal," Emma heard Rumpel's breath catch at the mention of his beloved son, and her own fingers were quickly forming a fist, nails threatening to draw blood.

"It has not tasted my blood, not since I defeated Pan and killed myself. My Son returned me to life,"

"So then, we are at an impasse. You see, I am the Dark One now, no matter the fact that you do not know how it is possible," He paused, tilted his head, as if contemplating and "I've had enough of this pathetic charade. I will make you a deal," A gleam of white teeth shone from out of the black under his hood. He was smiling. "I shall let you all live to return to Charming's Kingdom, but I keep her," He raised a poisoned hand, and pointed at Emma.

"Me? No way you assh-" Before she could finish her abject exclamation, Emma found herself facing the traveling party, all of whom were shocked expressions. Frozen in place. One dark arm crooked around Emma's neck, holding her back against the Dark One. He inclined his head towards her ear, and she struggled against him.

"Such a beautiful Princess deserves only the finest, don't you think?" She felt the magic tingle over her form and looked down to see herself swathed in a silvery white silk ball gown, slightly v-ed at the bodice and embellished with a flowering trellis of embroidery and jewels. Against her shoulders she could feel the telltale texture of tool embellishments. Even her hair had been swept up, the weight of a tiara resting on the crown of her head.

"Now, do we have a deal?" He asked. Emma could see Rumpelstiltskin's form shaking viciously, even though he was supposed to be frozen. The Dark One raised his free hand and her companions came to life once more.

"You cannot take her!" A voice rang out and Emma knew that it was Hook.

"Be silent!" Rumpel spoke harshly and the rabble quieted. Emma could feel the Dark One's even breaths, chest rising and falling behind her in anticipation. "We must flesh out the bargain. Ms. Swan?" He looked at her, waiting.

"I...I agree, but-"

"Then there must be terms. She won't be harmed. She will have comfort," Rumpel spoke both imploringly and imperatively. It was a strange combination.

"She will not be harmed, and will be comfortable. I desire simply something pretty to add to your former collection. But she is mine, now, do you understand? There will be no championing for her freedom," Her friends looked desolate, but Rumpel nodded, however unhappily.

"Is there anything else, Ms. Swan?" She shook her head. "Then make your deal," Emma opened her mouth, breath crystallizing in the air before her.

"I agree to the terms of the deal," His nose was brushing her ear, she could feel it.

"Then we've got a deal," he whispered hoarsely and she began to struggle once more, his closeness providing the perfect opportunity.

Though she could not see him, the hood of his cloak fell and Emma watched as her companions gasped, faces in shock. Rumpelstiltskin let out one, ragged breath, "No," before the swirl of grey smoke enveloped her and the mysterious Dark One, transporting them instantly into the castle. Only then, did he release her, and she stumbled forward, turned.

Her eyes widened imperceptibly, breath caught in her throat.

The man that stood before her, was Neal.

* * *

"How could you allow this to occur! You may no longer look like a crocodile but you most certainly haven't had a change of demeanor " Killian walked briskly after Rumpelstiltskin, who was making his way up to the council chamber. Rumpel whirled around, and Killian stopped so suddenly that the rest of the scouting party, who was bringing up the rear, halted, bumping into one another.

"I saved her. I saved all of you. I know how to make a deal, Pirate, and I know now that what occurred is probably the best possible option of any. In case you hadn't noticed, my son, my Bae, is not the Dark One. I can only guess at how, but that doesn't really matter. He didn't remember us, don't you see?" he asked, tone insistent. "Yet he was still drawn to Emma. He wanted her, Hook. Her," The two men glared at one another before Belle came and stood between them.

"Killian," she began, tone calm as if speaking to a wounded animal. "The Swan Necklace that Emma wears, it survived it's trip here, with Neal, during our missing year, and then survived the trip back to Storybrooke, and it's still here, now. Don't you understand? Emma can break his curse! It's true love. That's what they have. True love," her eyes pleaded with all around her, but no one responded. In that moment, Charming, Snow and Henry had arrived, followed by Regina. It took only a moment for the scene to sink in. Snow looked around, suddenly feeling very anxious.

"Where...where's Emma?"

* * *

"No need to gape at me, Princess," Neal said, but Emma could not help the expression that graced her face. Her Neal, alive, but distorted, veins of black poison crisscrossing his skin. She never knew what Rumpelstiltskin had looked like when he was the Dark One, but, she imagined, it varied from person to person. Even Neal's' eyes had thin veins of black running through them. His handsome, genial face had been transformed into her worst nightmare and, she knew, his worst nightmare as well. Emma's stomach sank when it hit her. He didn't remember a thing. Not a single thing at all. If she had been in a joking mood, she might have had the perverseness to mention that with all the memory losses that had happened in her family it was starting become a bit overused as far as plot devices went and the story a little repetitive. Despite all of her hang ups that didn't stop it from being horribly tragic.

Emma felt truly, for the first time, that she was living in a fairy tale.

Neal circled her slowly, watching her with insidious intent. When he once again faced her, his eyes lit upon the glint at her neck.

"A swan pendant. From your lover perhaps?" He reached out a hand, fingering at the pendant, before clasping his hands around the chain, and, before she could do a thing, he had tightened his grip and ripped the necklace from where it had hung for so long.

"No!" She called out in futility, but he only held it away from her, scrutinizing the circular metal.

"So precious to you? Then it must be from your lover," His crazed eyes glinted mischievously. "Yes, I think I've got just the thing for you, my beautiful new prize. Come," He implored her, and she followed, mind spinning in circles to come up with a plan to escape and to break him free from the Dark One's Curse.

He led her outside, to a garden, full of flowers and vines and moonlight overlooking a stunning lake. "My land is beautiful, is it not? But it is missing something vital. A lone Swan would make a lovely addition, don't you think?" He reached out a hand and brushed a lock of her hair away from her neck and she shuddered at the direct contact with his skin. How long she had denied that she still loved him, how long she had waited to feel the gentle brush of his touch against her skin. And he was cursed. She felt dead inside knowing that he no longer remembered who they were to each other, that his touch didn't mean the same thing to him as it did to her. She pulled away from him.

"What do you mean, lone swan?"

"Swan's mate for life, did you know? What more cruel a fate to turn you into a swan, forevermore here to reside, alone, without the dear one who gave you your necklace?" With a wave of his hand she could feel herself changing, becoming something different.

"What, what are you doing to me?" The Dark One chuckled at her, darkly.

"All day you shall remain a swan, and in the evenings, when the first of the moonlight hits your wings as you float upon the lake, you will regain your human form. If you are not back upon the lake by the first rays of dawn, you will transform into a swan, forever. Maybe your lover will find you, and maybe it'll be true love. Even so, he will have to make it past me first.

But you are my true love! Emma wanted to yell at the top of her lungs, but before she could speak again, she had been transformed and the only sound that came was the trumpeting of a Swan.

* * *

"What you must understand is this," Rumpelstiltskin began. "Emma is with Bae. She's a smart woman, and he agreed to the deal. She will not be harmed, and she will love in comfort. Emma is a smart woman. She'll find a way to bring His memories back. She will find a way to return him back to the man we know him to be," He knelt before Henry, who had been pale and uncertain since the news of his mother's abduction had been made known. "And then she'll come home to you and she'll bring your father and we will finally get the happily ever after that we deserve. Isn't that right, Grandson mine?"

Henry nodded, solemnly.

"Come now, Henry. You are the truest believer. You must have faith in the strength of the love between your parents. Do you believe they have true love?" Henry took a moment, before nodding hesitantly.

"I believe in my parents. I believe in Mom, and I believe in Dad. I do. I do,"

"Good," Rumpel ruffled the hair on his grandson's head. "Then they will return to you. Now off to bed. Your Grandmother will see to you," Henry turned and ran into Snow's arms, and she turned to take him up the stairs to his room. Charming caught Rumpel with a serious look.

"Are you sure about this?"

"Yes. More than I've ever been sure of anything, I believe in the strength of their love for one another. I have to. If I do not, my son may be under my curse for the remainder of his life. I cannot condemn him to the life that I once led. Bae is very powerful now that he is the Dark One. Even more powerful than I was, I'd be willing to wager. I'm his father, and I can do nothing to save him but give Emma the chance to break through to him," Charming nodded contemplatively at the explanation the former Imp had given.

"You're right. I only wish I had your confidence," Rumpel laughed humourlessly.

"I wish I had my confidence too,"

* * *

Hook paced the courtyard with growing anxiety. He couldn't help be but afraid for the woman that he'd so grown to admire and possibly... he refused to think the word. What a betrayal to his darling Milah would that be, if he were to ever...And yet he already had. Hook had surrendered his lust to the Swam woman. She was intriguing and beautiful and utterly immovable. He'd never met a woman beside Milah was so inexplicably capable of taking charge of the world around her.

And then there was the issue of Bae. His young Baelfire...

Killian made his decision.

Whether it was sanctioned or not, he would make it his mission to find and bring Emma back.


	4. NOTICE: Fic complete at AO3

this story is now up, in completed format, over at my AO3, under the same name. There's like 12 chapters. It's done. I don't know when or if I'll get around to updating over here.

my username is steelneena, and the link to my ao3 can be found in my profile bio here.


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